Mohegan Sun Massachusetts, seeking a license to open in the western part of the Bay State, is predicting they will ink an agreement with the town of Palmer in July.

The casino operator has proposed a $775 million resort style casino that would include a hotel, retail and lifestyle center. Mohegan Sun said it has the strongest finances of any western Massachusetts operator noting its partnership with the $12 billion New York investment advisor Brigade Capital Management.

A host community agreement, which is required under the Bay State’s casino gambling legislation, establishes the terms for mitigation and is required by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. The agreement is in advance of an expected September referendum in Palmer on the project. A townwide vote supporting a casino is required in any community hoping to host expanded gambling.

In a recent interview with the Boston Business Journal, Mitchell Etess, chief executive of the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority, said Palmer is one of the few communities who has demonstrated support for a casino in their backyard. In 1997, Palmer voters supported a casino plan by a margin of nearly 56 percent in a nonbinding election. The vote was 2,444 in favor and 1,935 opposed. A total of 4,496 of the 7,529 eligible voters went to the polls for a 60 percent turnout.

Mohegan Sun Massachusetts established a storefront office in Palmer more than three years ago, and has conducted outreach to residents through a series of “Community Conversations” and appearances at community meetings.

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